Advocate: Brookdale's frozen tuition a boost for businesses

By decreasing the school's fiscal 2013 budget by 3 percent from 2012, Brookdale Community College announced it was able to approve a tuition freeze for the upcoming school year.

The school will charge Monmouth County residents $115.50 per credit, plus a $27.72 service fee per credit. The board of trustees approved keeping tuition flat late last week.

“By serving as careful stewards of public resources, the college has been able to continue preparing students to become the educated work force of the future,” Brookdale President Maureen Murphy said in the announcement. The board approved a budget for the upcoming school year of $92.3 million.

Jacob Farbman, spokesman for the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, said Brookdale’s is the first tuition freeze he’s heard of for the 2013-14 school year.

“One of the cornerstones of the community college mission is affordability, and that goes hand in hand with access,” Farbman said.

In addition to training more skilled workers, he said, that affordability is important for the business community, as by keeping tuition low, employers are more readily able to offer continuing education benefits and customized training opportunities through county colleges.

According to a report by the National Student Clearinghouse, completed last year, nearly 38 percent of students who earn a bachelor’s degree at a New Jersey college or university have completed coursework at a community college.